Headaches are generally classified into several basic types, including sinus, cluster, tension and migraine. Improper alignment of the teeth can play a significant role in certain types of headaches, as well as other head and neck pain.
Tension headaches are by far the most common and usually originate in the muscles in the forehead and above the ear. These same muscles also play an important part in opening and closing of the mouth. An incorrect bite can lead to abnormal tension in these muscles, causing neck and shoulder pain and headaches.
New technology allows the Neuromuscular Dentist to objectively evaluate the state of these muscles and other factors that may affect your bite position. Based on this and other information obtained from a physical examination, we can rule in or rule out your bite as a possible cause of headache, neck and shoulder pain.
If the examination indicates that your bite is a factor in causing the pain, then treatment can begin to solve this. A thin plastic appliance, called an orthotic, (not a nightguard or bite splint), is made to adjust the bite to the correct relationship. At this point, nothing permanent is done to alter your teeth. Wearing the appliance for a period of time assures that the jaws are in the proper relationship to each other. After verifying this, several permanent options are available to stabilize the bite in the new position.
An evaluation by a Neuromuscular Dentist can help to alleviate headaches, jaw pain, facial pain, sensitive teeth, difficulty chewing and neck and shoulder pain.
If you are suffering from any of these, call us today.
Dr. Joel Miller has been trained in Neuromuscular Dentistry at the Las Vegas Institute for Advance Dental Studies (lvilive.com).
Call us at 661-257-5858 for an appointment today. More information is available on our website at www.ValenciaSmiles.com .